


Tag

by Lobster



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Childhood, Community: 31_days, Ficlet, Gen, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-06-01
Updated: 2011-06-01
Packaged: 2017-10-23 23:36:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/256357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lobster/pseuds/Lobster
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Innocent games are anything but.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tag

**Author's Note:**

> For 31_days: 1 June, "Who are these children, who scheme and run wild?"

"We're playing tag," Azula announced, and there were no arguments. Not from Zuko, who never got to choose; not even from Mai, who hated tag and any other game that might mar her clothes. Certainly not from Ty Lee, who was already bubbling over, joyful at the very thought. Ty Lee loved any chance to run and shout.

"I'm it," Azula declared. "Start running."

They tore off, in three separate directions, Ty Lee giggling and shouting, "You can't catch me!" and Mai deftly avoiding the princess's outstretched hand. Azula turned for her brother and ran.

Zuko sprinted away, his longer legs giving him a slight advantage, but he knew he couldn't keep it up forever. Glancing around, he looked for the tree they always used as base, but couldn't find it. Suddenly he realized it was behind him; Azula was herding him away from it and into a corner where he would be easily caught. He tried to make a turn towards it and barely avoided his sister's grasp.

Out of nowhere, Mai broke between them and distracted Azula for a split second. Zuko took the opportunity to run flat out towards the base tree, his heart pounding in his ears.

"I'll still get you, I'm right behind you," Azula yelled, and startled to hear how close she was, Zuko tripped over a root and fell, grazing his cheek on the rough bark of a tree. The base tree!

Zuko stood up, breathing heavily. “You can’t get me here!” he shouted.

"You can only stay on base for ten seconds, dum-dum," reminded his sister. "One, two, three..."

Zuko reached up and felt his face; it was bleeding where he had bumped it against the tree. "I don't want to play anymore!"

"Four, five, six," Azula continued, taunting him.

"I said I don't want to play!" Zuko yelled.

"What's going on?" called Ursa, from across the courtyard, where she was taking her usual afternoon stroll along its perimeter.

"Zuko won't play right. He won't come away from the tree," Azula tattled, as Zuko rubbed at his cheek and glared at her.

"Now, Zuko, play nice," Ursa said, and continued on her walk.

"Yeah, Zuzu, play nice," Azula repeated with a smirk.


End file.
